The Diversity of Life: Atlas
Explore the colorful world of biodiversity with these interactive maps
This collection of interactive maps accompanies The Diversity of Life , the fourth chapter in an ongoing series of stories examining humankind's impact on the planet. Click the link below to view the main story.
All the layers in the maps below are available in ArcGIS online, and can be added to new or existing maps and scenes. Select View layer in ArcGIS Online in the corresponding narrative panel below to learn more about each dataset. Note that some of the layers have been restyled for these maps, and may look slightly different in ArcGIS Online.
Terrestrial ecosystems and coral reefs
This map highlights the complex tapestry of terrestrial ecosystems that blankets our planet's continents. These ecosystems are defined by their unique climate, land cover, and landform characteristics.
Coral reefs are among the planet's most biologically diverse marine ecosystems: Though they occupy just a fraction of the ocean's area, they're home to a full quarter of all marine species.
Source: Esri, U.S. Geological Survey, and The Nature Conservancy
Coral reefs data
Source: U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Terrestrial ecoregions
The planet's terrestrial habitats can also be divided into individual ecoregions. Each ecoregion harbors a distinct collection of plant and animal species, all of which have adapted to thrive in that particular environment. Here, the world's ecoregions are colored according to biome type.
Click on the map to see more details about each ecoregion.
Source: Bioscience, An Ecoregions-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014
Species richness
This map displays the richness of terrestrial species and fish species, highlighting the dramatic variability in biodiversity across the planet's myriad ecosystems.
To create this dataset, researchers measured the total number of species within an approximately 55 square kilometer area, and then scaled these results from 1 (least rich) to 10 (most rich).
Fish species richness data
Source: Map of Life/E.O. Wilson Foundation
Terrestrial species richness data
Source: Map of Life/E.O. Wilson Foundation
Biodiversity hotspots
The biodiversty hotspots featured in this map are areas of exceptional plant and animal diversity that are also threatened by human encroachment.
Source: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and Conservation International
Protected areas
The World Database of Protected Areas includes over 250 thousand unique terrestrial and marine or coastal protected areas—with more and more records added every month.
These protected areas run the gamut from small, locally managed conservation zones to vast swaths of ocean co-administered by multiple countries. Select a protected area on the map to see more details.
Source: United Nations Environmental Program–World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCM), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
